Apparatus for making fences



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM A. OOOHRAN, OF ED INBURG, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO HORACE G. SOLOMON, OF HOPE, AND JACOB \VINTRODE, OF HUNT- INGTON, INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR MAKiNG FENCES.

sPncrPrcA'i-ron forming part. of Letters Patent no. 364,398, dated June 7,1867,

Application filed February 4, 1887. Serial No. 226,567. (Model) T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. COOHRAN, of Edinburg, in the county of Johnson and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in picket-fence machinery; and it consists in the combination of the movable post, upon which the tension-rollers are placed, and two sets of rollers for each wire, the wire being passed around the two sets of rollers, so as to exert a suitable tension upon the wires while they are stretched in position ready to receive the pickets.

The object of my invention is to provide a tension device for each pair of wires, which will allow the wires to be stretched for a long distance, and thus obviate all necessity of having to move the post which carries the tension devices so frequently, to provide spacinggages which will obviate the necessity of having to use a gagepost in connection with the post which carries the tension devices, and to provide a wrench which has a curved slot in it for holding the wires while twisting them.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the post carrying the tension devices.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the hanging gage.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the wrench used in twisting the wires.

A represents one of the posts of the fence, and B the post which carries the tension devices, and which is made movable in relation to the fence-posts from time to time, as may be found necessary in building the fence. This post 13 is anchored in position by means of stakes O, or any other suitable devices which will enable it to resist the strain brought to bear upon the post by the wires. This post B is moved any suitable distance from the post i A, and then it is secured in position by means of the wires 0, which extendto the different stakes O, and then the different pairs of wires D are stretched, ready to be twisted upon the pickets.

In order to produce a suitable tension upon the wires, two sets of rollers, F'G, are pro vided with each pair of wires, each wire having two rollers of its own. All of the rollers are made to revolve upon their journals as the wires are drawn through the post B to be twisted around the pickets. These wheels F G form anti-friction devices and produce a tension upon the wires, owing to the fact that the wires, in passing from the reels to the fence, are passed through the post and wrapped completely around each wheel at-least one time, and the wires in passing around the wheels are bent once more and once less than a right angle. If the wheels were stationary, the tension upon. the wires would bemuch greater than it is where the wheels are allowed to revolve. By allowing the wheels to revolve freely the tension due to the bend inthe wires is made much less than would be the case if the wheels were stationary, the wires being made to pass through the post 13, then wrapped once around the lower wheel, G, then passed up and wrapped around the wheel F, and thence. to the pickets. \Vhen the twisting mechanism or device is applied to each pair of wires for the purpose of twisting them, the wires are made to slowly revolve the wheels F G, and the pull thus exerted upon them causes sufficient frictional contact upon the wheels to give the wires the required tension. The upper pairs of rollers, F, are placed in openings which are made in the post, while the lower pairs, G, are journaled in suitable brackets made to receive them, and which are secured to the side of the post, as shown,

The reels from which thewires are drawn are placed upon that side of the post B which is next to the pickets, and then the wires are passed twice through the post- B and wrapped. once around each one of the wheels F G.

In order to space the lower ends of the pickets, the gage H is placed upon the ground, having recesses to receive the lower end of each picket-i To keep the upper portion of the pickets a uniform distance apart, a second gage, I, is used, and which is suspended by the wires J from the top pair of wires. These wires J are simply hooked at their upper ends, so as to catch over the top pair of wires, and thus support this hanging gage at any desired distance above the lower gage. The pickets, being held the same distance apart both at their lower ends and at any suitable distance above the ground, will always be kept in a vertical position and at a uniform. distance.

apart. These two gages will extend from one post A to another, and as long as the posts are placed in a vertical position there will be no trouble in keeping the pickets straight.

After each picket has been adjusted to the gages, the wires are twisted around the pickets by means of the wrench 1. This wrench consists of a flat plate having any desired number of arms, J, and the curved slot L, for catching over each pair of wires. The slot L is made curved, as here shown, in contradistinction to a straight slot, for the reason that a curved slot catches over the wires and holds them more securely than a straight one will do. Where a straight slot is used and the wires do not exactly fit the slot, the wires are apt to slip while being twisted, and thus pro duce uneven and irregular work.

\Vhere a curved slot is used, as here shown, the wires cannot possibly slip, because the curve of the slot keeps the wires crowded down into its inner end, where they cannot escape, and hence perfectly uniform work is done at all times.

After the post A has been fixed in position, the different wires D are fastened thereto, after having been passed one or more times around the tension-wheels F G in the post B. The post B is then anchored in position at any suitable distance from the post A, the gages H I are placed in position, and then the wires are twisted around each successive picket as it is placed in position in the two gages by the wiretwisting device I.

Having thus described my invention, I

The combination of the post A with the two sets of rollers F G, arranged as set forth for each pair of wires, the rollers F forming bot-h guides and tensiondevices, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM A. COOHRAN. Wt tnesscs:

XVILLIAM L. MARsI-I, WILLIAM T. BUTLER. 

